Abstract

BONETTO, Germán et al. Brain death and organ donation in Argentine pediatric intensive care units: A multicenter study. Arch. argent. pediatr. [online]. 2018, vol.116, n.1, pp.e54-e60. ISSN 0325-0075.  http://dx.doi.org/10.5546/aap.2018.e54.

Brain death (BD) is a condition determined by the complete and irreversible absence of brain functions. Maintenance of vital functions creates an opportunity for organ donation. A retrospective study was carried out in 7 pediatric intensive care units of Argentina (from 1/1/2013 to 9/30/2016) to determine the incidence of clinical and certified BD, and the proportion of effective transplantations. Among deceased patients, 19.14% (147/768) met the clinical requirements for BD, and the main cause of BD was multiple trauma. BD was certified in 13.4% of deceased patients (103); an electroencephalogram and an apnea test were the most commonly used ancillary methods. Organ maintenance time was 24 hours. A total of 87 families were approached for donation; 59 were rejected (they were not suitable or refused). Effective donors accounted for 25% (26/103) of patients with certified BD and 72 patients received solid organs.

Keywords : Brain death; Donation; Transplantation; Pediatric intensive care units.

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